Google AI overview

The impact of the AI Overview on SEO in Switzerland

Given that Google's aim with AI Preview is to save users from having to click through dozens of sites, you might think that this feature represents an existential threat to the Swiss SEO community and will cause organic traffic levels to fall drastically.

But according to Google, this may not be the case.

Encouraging data from Google

Google data shows that AI Preview users are more satisfied with search results and ask longer, more complex questions. Users are also more likely to stay on the pages they click to from the AI Preview.

Swiss marketers optimistic

Our own research confirms that AI Insights could have a positive impact on the Google experience. We asked 623 digital marketers in the US familiar with AI Preview what they thought of the feature.

More than half (59.55%) said they were very optimistic or slightly optimistic about its impact. Only 12.2% said they were very pessimistic.

In addition, 72.78% are optimistic about the impact of AI Preview on their web traffic. This is notable because my team and I believe that most sites will lose traffic because of AI Preview, as it is now the first element in many SERPs where it appears.

What explains this difference?

Our readers and customers might think they'll see higher click-through rates (and therefore more traffic) if Google lists their sites as a source. And there's some truth in that. Some of our blog posts and pages have seen month-on-month increases in traffic after being cited in AI Preview results.

Problems with AI Preview

The AI Preview is not just a potential problem for the Swiss SEO community. The quality of the results was - to put it politely - lacking.

There was a series of well-documented (and ridiculed) hallucinations including a suggestion to add glue to a pizza and to eat one small pebble a day.

Errors documented by our survey

More than half (55,06%) of our testers also saw major errors. These included:

• 67,35% received incorrect answers
• 58.02% saw obsolete answers
• 60,06% saw inappropriate content
• 53,06% saw content that was not relevant to their query

These problems arise because Google's Gemini AI model cannot actually read or understand the content from which it draws its results. Specifically, it doesn't understand sarcasm or humour, which means it can't differentiate between ironic content and jokes and factual articles.

Optimising your content for AI Preview

The best way to protect your search traffic from AI Preview is to appear as a reference link in the response box.

The good news

This can happen naturally. In our survey, 41% of respondents found queries where their site or brands were mentioned, and 42,50% found queries where Google linked to their sites.

The challenges

The bad news is that there is still no definitive guide on how to obtain a link from an AI Preview.

Google says That its systems automatically determine which links appear. "There's nothing special creators have to do to be considered other than follow our usual guidance to appear in search, as covered in Google Search Essentials."

Optimisation strategies for Swiss companies

1. Improve your E-E-A-T signals

Google loves content with high levels of Experience, Expertise, Authority and Reliability. This could boost the chances of these sites being featured in the AI Preview.

Increase your E-E-A-T signals by :

• Creating an "About" page listing your certifications, years of experience, and everything else that makes you an expert
• Acquiring backlinks from high-authority websites (target of 44,51% from our respondents)
• Keeping your content fresh, accurate and relevant (objective for 40,43% of our respondents)

2. Improve the quality of your content

Google wants to present the best content as a resource. But since there are only a few places available, you'll need to make sure your content is exceptional.

Achieve this by :

• Being original: have an opinion or include first-hand data whenever possible
• Demonstrate your expertise: write from a position of authority or hire writers who are experts in the subject.
• Responding to the reader's needs: Solve the reader's pain points before selling your solution
• Being specific: the more specific and actionable your content is, the more likely Google will incorporate your strategies into its response.
• Include reliable sources: When you make a claim, back it up by citing known, credible sources.

3. Target long tail keywords

Since Google says it uses the AI Preview to answer complex queries, you should make sure your content targets long-tail keywords. By targeting keywords of four words or more, you'll ensure a level of specificity that can help you appear in the AI Preview.

Examples for the Swiss market:

• "How to choose a web agency in Lausanne
• "Prix création site internet Suisse romande
• "Best SEO strategy for Swiss SMEs

4. Eliminate the superfluous

Make sure your content is short and to the point.

Research shows that most of the sites the AI Preview links to use short sentences and clear language. The theory is that since AI Preview provides easy-to-read answers, it needs sources that are easy to summarise.

The future of AI Insight in Switzerland

Given the errors we have highlighted, the reaction to the AI Preview has been lukewarm at best.

Google's adjustments

To be fair, Google has already taken measures to prevent these ridiculous and potentially dangerous hallucinations. Google is limiting AI Preview for nonsensical queries, health-related topics, and any other queries where the tool might offer misleading advice.

Google is also changing the frequency with which the AI Preview appears. At one point, AI Preview appeared in 84% of queries. But recent research from BrightEdge finds that it now appears in just 7% of queries. The importance of the AI Preview is also decreasing, and results are now 13% smaller on average.

Adapting sources

The way Google sources material is also changing. Google is significantly reducing its reliance on user-generated content sites such as Reddit and Quora, which were frequently cited in low-quality responses.

Action by Swiss marketers

Despite the controversy, marketers are taking action. In addition to the strategies discussed above, two-thirds of our respondents said they were increasing their marketing budgets because of the AI Insight.

Many will not disable AI Preview, even if they could. Almost half (43.5%) said they would leave it on for all queries. A third said they would leave it on, but would be open to turning it off in the future.

Conclusion: Preparing your Swiss company

AI Preview may not be to everyone's taste, but it's not going away any time soon. This means that we, as Swiss marketers, need to understand how it works, what queries it appears for, and how we can increase our chances of appearing as a resource.

Your next steps:

1. Learn how to increase the thematic authority of your domain
2. Create exceptional content to encourage Google to feature you in its resource panel
3. Optimise your content for long-tail queries specific to the Swiss market
4. Strengthen your E-E-A-T signals with local Swiss references

Adapting to the AI Overview is not an option, it's a necessity if you want to remain competitive in the Swiss market. Companies that prepare for it now will gain an advantage over their competitors.